


Before She Can Rest

by christinemarie13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Hermione Granger, F/M, Fix-It, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25360516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christinemarie13/pseuds/christinemarie13
Summary: Hermione travels back to fourth year to right some wrongs. Time-travel. Bamf!Hermione. Two-shot.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 20
Kudos: 311





	1. Fixing the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter.
> 
> Hey everyone! Here's a little something I wrote up and actually managed to finish (I can't tell you the number of in-progress fics I've got clogging up my computer. It's sad). But this one was short enough and cooperated enough to be wrapped up and posted. It's not a masterpiece, and most was written in one night, but I like it.
> 
> I've had this posted over on fanfiction (dot) net and realized I hadn't put it here as well. Hope you all enjoy!

This was everything she'd been training for. All the pain and suffering she'd endured would save her future self from the same. And Harry, he would be saved from any more pain and manipulation. Her pain paled in comparison to the lack of love and support he'd grown up with and adversity he faced his whole life. Maybe he could finally have a happy life after she cleaned this mess up.

Watching Pettigrew set up and carry around that disgusting homunculus was probably the hardest part of the whole plan. She wished so much she could just attack them now, damn the consequences, but this was about more than vengeance. This was about saving innocents from facing the horrors of war and watching whole families slaughtered. She could see the faces of those who they lost and that fortified her to stay her hand until the right moment.

She made sure to mentally review every step she'd planned out. Watching Harry's memory of this night was difficult but she'd watched it over and over until she had every last detail memorized. She couldn't afford mistakes this time around. When she knew she was as prepared as possible, with the planning and intense training, she used her stolen time turner and disappeared.

The minutes slowly ticked by but finally the time Harry would arrive drew near. She made sure she was in just the right place before tensing in anticipation. Every breath was ragged as she waited.

Finally, both boys suddenly appeared, Harry losing his footing immediately. Cedric was too surprised to do anything when Pettigrew came into view.

"Kill the spare!"

She'd managed to move Cedric just in time and made it look like he'd been hit. She wanted to save Harry from the pain this and the following acts would cause but knew she needed everything to go just right for the next little bit. At least later he would know that Cedric was still alive.

While she waited for the ritual to begin, she made sure she knew where everywhere she could take cover was. Then she saw the snake move away from Harry and Wormtail and followed. She couldn't kill it since the noise would give the plot away but she'd researched for just this moment. The snake noticed her and moved to strike but she was faster. She used an obscure spell she'd found in a book in the Room of Requirement which caused someone (or something) to freeze as if made of stone. It also left the organs working perfectly fine so the horcrux would remain there until she was able to deal with it. Basically a modified Petrificus Totalis. With the snake striking it gave her a great shot at its mouth where there would be no protective skin to prevent the spell from taking place.

With the snake incapacitated she moved back to where Wormtail was just about to complete the ritual. It would be tricky once Voldemort was up and moving but she'd planned and trained so much that she couldn't do anything but be successful in this venture.

Finally, it was time for the other Death Eaters to make their appearance and Voldy to free Harry for their duel. Once Harry was on his feet with his wand in hand she sent a spell at his leg to set and strengthen it until they were back at the school. Then she loosed her most powerful weapon. A spell she managed to stumble upon in the Room of Requirement that seemed innocuous enough at first but when put in place was her ticket to victory. She cast and time began to slow. The last thing the Death Eaters saw appear was a warrior of a woman, dressed in tight dragonhide armor, with a katana being unsheathed before time stopped. For everyone except Hermione.

She moved like water as she quickly and methodically dispatched every Death Eater after unmasking them. It was a wholly unfair fight but when had Voldemort ever waged war in a fair fashion. This was a slaughter plain and simple. She removed their wand arms before slicing easily through the necks. Katanas may be dangerous alone but, when strengthened with her magic, it cut through flesh like butter.

What had been less than a second for them had been more than enough time for Hermione to finish every last one off with zero remorse. Murderers and rapists deserved none of her precious sympathy. After they had all been taken care of she moved back to Nagini, removed the spell, then sliced the snake in half.

She moved to Wormtail, the only Death Eater standing, made sure to remove his new silver hand and other hand before cauterizing them. Finally, she locked a collar around his neck to prevent the use of magic, especially the animagus transformation. This is one rat that won't be getting away but she had special plans for him.

To finish before the spell gave way, she moved back to Voldemort and removed his wand arm. She knew the prophecy would demand that Harry be the one to completely end Riddle but she would make it much easier for the young man. Seeing that she'd accomplished everything she'd needed to, she allowed the spell to fade. Standing behind Harry, she had a front-row view of when the realization of his missing arm and the intense pain rushed through his mind and body. As the blood flowed liberally, he screamed.

Hermione leaned forward to Harry's ear and whispered, "A reducto should finish him off quite nicely."

He started to move his head to turn but she stopped him. "Cast now, talk later. He won't be distracted for much longer."

Harry paused before lifting his wand and casting directly at Voldemort's torso. A few moments later the wizard formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle was no more.

Harry stood in shock for a moment before turning and looking even more stunned if that was possible.

"H-Hermione?" he stuttered looking at the older version of his best friend.

"Yes, Harry. No time to talk at the moment. We'll discuss this later but for now, keep my involvement in this event to yourself and get you and Cedric back to Hogwarts. Accio the trophy to yourself while you hold onto him and you'll be back in a flash. Also, don't speak to Hermione about this. This version of me has no idea what's happening. Time travel can be a wonderful thing you know," she finished with a wink.

He was still looking dazed so she guided him to Cedric so that he could get out of there.

"Come on, Harry, time to get moving. Just let Madam Pomfrey fix you up and I'll be in contact soon. I have a bit of unfinished business to address before everything can be wrapped up. Take care of yourself. And me."

He finally got moving and soon she was left alone in the graveyard surrounded by death and destruction.

xXx

The front page of the Daily Prophet yesterday had been chaotic enough with headlines about Harry's winning and abduction from the tournament but today's brought more shock. There was Peter Pettigrew, long thought dead, trapped in a cage in the middle of Diagon Alley. A sign above the cage read: Here resides Peter Pettigrew. If he's alive then how did Sirius Black murder him? And why aren't there any records of a trial for Sirius Black? Does this mean Sirius Black is innocent of the crimes for which he was thrown into Azkaban but never tried for? If a member of such an old, pureblood family can be thrown into prison without a trial what hope do any of the rest of us hold?

Those lines, along with plenty of provocation from Rita Skeeter, was enough to have the Wizengamot fumbling over themselves to schedule a trial for Pettigrew and Sirius before the public could call for all their heads. Fudge was already on the way out the door after the story broke of his knowledge of Black's innocence a year earlier, as well as his debacle with the dementor and Barty Crouch Jr. the day before. Rita really had the inside scoop on what had happened before, during, and after the TriWizard Tournament. Before Fudge was officially voted out, everyone was trying to heap as much blame on him as possible to stay out the spotlight themselves.

The death of so many purebloods also had the wizarding world in a tizzy and no one knew how to handle it. With Harry's memory of Voldemort's resurrection and death, carefully trimmed so that Hermione's identity wasn't revealed, he couldn't be charged with their deaths. There was also the shock that Voldemort hadn't been truly defeated on that Halloween all those years ago tempered by the joy that he truly was gone this time. The mixture of shock, fear, relief, and joy left most unable to know how to react. Then there were other elements who were terrified that they may be targeted next. Not all of Voldemort's followers had been marked and those that hadn't were worried if they would survive whoever had taken their associates out. And with most of the death eaters from the Wizengamot dead, there was little chance of getting anyone to look closer into who had been the one to help Harry in the graveyard.

She wasn't going to kill everyone who had been an evildoer during her time. She didn't want to be an indiscriminate killer no matter how much she wished to end some of the non-marked people's lives. She did make a list of those that were and left them with people who could keep a close eye on them. She made sure to impress upon them the level of depravity of a few in the accompanying letters.

While the chaos kept everyone's attention, Hermione was still acting to make sure she tied up any loose ends. It was difficult to know if she'd covered everything but she'd tried her best. Her last act before calling it quits was to give letters to the right key players to keep everything moving smoothly. Dumbledore, Sirius, and Madame Bones were just a few. When she'd finished, she made her way to Hogwarts in the dead of night and visited Harry as he was sleeping in the infirmary.

He startled awake before quickly sitting up. She could tell he had been desperately waiting to pepper her with questions.

"Hello, Harry. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he started but backtracked at the look on Hermione's face. "Well, I'm tired and sore but actually really happy. Sirius' trial is tomorrow and everyone knows he'll be free after. He has to spend some time in a treatment facility to help with some of the damage the dementors did to his head. I'm going to spend time with the Weasleys until he's released but then I can go live with him. He said I never have to go back to the Dursleys!" The happiness shining in his eyes at the statement was beautiful and heartbreaking. Hopefully, he will be able to regain some of the innocence he'd lost over his lifetime.

"That's great Harry. It's all I've wanted for you; to be free from Voldemort and surrounded by your loved ones. I've set a lot of people on paths to help keep anyone else from meddling in your life. There will be times when you'll have to tell people about how unpleasant your time at the Dursleys was or about other bad things that had happened to you. Just make sure to tell them the truth and don't downplay how bad it was. People need to know how badly you were failed and that may help other children down the line. No child should be locked away in a cupboard and treated worse than a house elf."

Harry's cheeks warmed and his eyes teared up so she pulled him into a comforting hug. She heard a sniffle and just rubbed his back as he took comfort.

"You are such a sweet boy, Harry. If I wouldn't have stepped in when I did, this world would have destroyed you. We lost so many and many others never recovered from the war that Voldemort waged. It was worse than his first go-around so that should give you a clue. We were just children and should never have had to experience that and I hope I've managed to spare us that in this new future.

"I know that life has already extracted a toll from you for everything you've gone through but don't let it rule you anymore. Take your studies seriously, don't let Ron's laziness dictate your success. And try to help me study just a smidge less and enjoy the time here at Hogwarts. I know you will do great things one day, someone as caring and loving as you couldn't do anything less, so I just want to make sure you're prepared for any future you choose."

He smiled at her through more tears and hugged her again.

"Thank you, Hermione. For saving us and for taking care of me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate having you in my life."

She just smiled, though tears threatened. "Ok, young man, time for you to go back to sleep. You won't be seeing this version of me again but hopefully, you'll enjoy the happier version of me you get to have in your life. Be happy and enjoy every moment you have with those you love."

She tucked him in, placing a kiss on his forehead, and walked back out. She breathed deeply as she enjoyed the silence of the castle one last time. Her smile was peaceful as she slowly disappeared.


	2. Letters from the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione leaves behind some letters to help move things in the right direction.

Rita scurried into her office excitedly. The happenings at the TriWizard Tournament had the papers flying out the door and that was with the small bit of information she'd been able to procure before everything had been locked down. Now she had Peter Pettigrew alive, Sirius Black potentially innocent, and the implied corruption at the ministry. Christmas had come early this year.

She settled at her desk before noticing a letter waiting for her. She was suspicious but too excited about a potential scoop to care too much. With a cursory check for curses, she ripped the envelope open.

Rita,

I'll get straight to the point since I know you'd appreciate that more, I have some information for you and the price is showing a bit of tact. I know tact is something you eschew for the notoriety you gain from a juicy article but I think you'll find what I can offer you a fair trade. I won't blackmail you with my knowledge of how you obtain your best scoops, you already have someone who's doing that in a way Salazar Slytherin would be proud of. Instead, I'm offering a bit of quid pro quo and this way we both end up winners.

First, what I want you to do is show Harry Potter and his closest allies (Hermione, Sirius, and the Weasleys) some respect and avoid sensationalizing or writing negatively about them. If they do something noteworthy by all means tell the truth but leave your backbiting and leading comments to yourself. Also, don't try to play Harry up as if they were the next Merlin. He deserves a normal few years to enjoy the last dregs of childhood once things settle down. I think you'll have plenty to write about instead, some of which could even lead to a book.

Now that we've settled on what I want, I'll give you some information that'll shake the wizarding world to its core. It'll be up to whether you want to tackle such a controversial and powerful figure but I'm sure you're up to the task. Albus Dumbledore will be your target and I've got plenty of information that won't take too much work for you to corroborate.

Rita's eye bulged as she read through all the information listed; being Grindlewald's former lover, his sealing of the Potter Will and illegally leaving Harry Potter on a doorstep, the full story of Sirius Black and even more. The information contained in this letter would set her up for life, especially if she could get that book written about Dumbledore. She may even be able to wrangle Sirius Black into telling his story if she played her cards right.

The next few paragraphs contained even more dirt on happenings with Fudge and his incompetence. Not to mention how he had been in the pockets of the Death Eaters that had been killed. She'd have to find out if those deaths could be confirmed by anyone other than Harry Potter. She'd start that story tomorrow and focus on Pettigrew and Black for today.

I think I've set you up with plenty of information to keep you running for a good long while. If you're nice and show some remorse Harry might even be inclined to offer you an exclusive interview. I'm sure he'll continue to be a very influential figure so you should try to mend bridges with him as soon as possible. An apology letter to start wouldn't go amiss. Believe me, the things he could tell you about Albus Dumbledore and the happenings at Hogwarts would keep your paper flying off the shelves for weeks or more if you plan it well. Just something to consider.

Try to remember our deal, you wouldn't like me as an enemy. I'm helping to bring down some of the most influential people in wizarding society so you would barely inconvenience me. But I find that I have plenty to keep me busy as long as my attention isn't drawn away to handle any broken deals. Try to have fun and don't hold back on Dumbledore or Fudge.

-A concerned citizen.

Rita was a bit terrified of this mysterious person's threat. They were right, if they had this much dirt on Dumbledore and Fudge then they could be a dangerous enemy. Well, she'd take the advice and try to turn her image around. She could play the part of a dedicated investigative reporter rather than a gossip-monger. There was so much information here that she didn't have to make up stories, they were just lying there ready to be transcribed. Piles of Galleons and her picture adorning the back covers of books flashed through her mind as she scrambled to plan out how she'd execute this massive campaign.

She was wrong, Christmas hadn't just come early, she'd won the lottery as well.

xXx

Madame Bones entered her office, weary from the chaos that erupted over the past day or so. Dealing with the knowledge of Barty Crouch Jr. being alive was bad enough, especially with that idiot Fudge having him kissed before he could be questioned, but this morning's revelations shook the wizarding world to its core. Peter Pettigrew being alive and Sirius Black not having a trial had everyone wondering just what the hell was going on in their government. The public was crying for blood and the two people who had sent Black to Azkaban, Bagnold and Crouch, were both dead. With no one else to lay the blame on, Fudge was trying to save his neck and failing. It hadn't taken long at all, thanks to Rita Skeeter, for everyone to know that Fudge had been informed of Black's innocence and completely ignored it. He'd made his bed and now he'd have to lie in it.

Amelia was just glad that this had been handled by the former administration and she could truthfully say she was doing the best she could now that she knew the truth. Being the head of the DMLE was something she'd always aspired to but today she almost wished she'd not taken the mantle until this pandemonium had passed. She fell into her seat, closing her eyes and resting. She only allowed herself a few moments before jumping back into the chaos.

Upon opening her eyes she was confronted by a letter that had been placed on top of her latest stack of files. She was immediately suspicious as all her mail was routed through her secretary to be checked for curses, poisons and the like. The fact that someone had bypassed all of her Aurors, as well as the security she'd placed on her office, was more than alarming. She quickly scanned the letter with her wand, using every detection spell she knew, which was probably more than most people knew existed. After finding nothing more than an ordinary letter, she donned some gloves for extra safety and slowly opened it.

Dear Madame Bones,

I know you are probably alarmed at my bypassing your security measures but this letter needed to reach you as quickly as possible. Don't worry, I doubt anyone else would be able to do the same. I've studied extensively and with materials that most people will never be able to access. Though it never hurts to add a few more layers of wards just in case. 'Constant Vigilance' as Moody loves to say.

Now, to the reason I've contacted you. By now you've discovered Crouch's treachery as well as Pettigrew. While this in itself is enough to send the world into a tailspin, there is plenty more that will have the potential to do the same. I know I'm going to be asking a lot of you but so many others have neglected to do the right thing in the past decade and a half and it has piled up. Some things you won't be able to fix but shining a light onto them may help others in the future.

While Sirius Black's innocence should be confirmed quickly and easily, one thing that slipped through the cracks was Harry Potter's guardianship. I'm aware that Harry's parents' Will stated that he was to be taken in by the Longbottoms, Sirius Black, or a number of other friends in the wizarding world. While the first two were unable to accept the mantle for obvious reasons, the others were never even contacted or consulted. Why is this? Well, a prominent figure who loves to espouse 'The Greater Good' took it upon himself to bypass the law, have the Potters' Will sealed and placed Harry on the doorstep of his only living relatives, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, Lily Potter's sister and her husband.

While, in theory, that might not seem like that big of a deal, the doorstep in late fall notwithstanding, it was against the wishes of the Potters and the Dursleys. The Dursleys were never consulted on whether they wanted to retain custody, not that it would have been granted by the Wizengamot, and would have gladly passed him off to just about anyone else. If that doesn't already raise red flags then I don't know what does. I won't go into great detail about why this was a great injustice but advise you to interview Harry as soon as your schedule allows. I've told him the importance of telling the truth and hope he may finally be placed with people who will love and care for him.

Amelia had to stop reading to get her emotions back under control. What the hell was happening in their world? Alarm bells were ringing about what the savior of the wizarding world could have experienced for someone else to be so concerned. And placing a baby on a doorstep? How hard would it have been to knock on a door to make sure the baby was settled before leaving, even if the placement wasn't legal.

She knew the person was alluding to Dumbledore. She'd heard him many times rattling off his 'it's for the Greater Good my friends' speech while in Wizengamot sessions. These revelations were starting to make her wonder if she shouldn't be keeping a closer eye on his actions to see if his motivations were truly in line with what he preached. She shook the thoughts off for the moment to continue reading.

Now after making sure Harry is looked after, I'm sure you'll be busy with all the deceased Death Eaters along with their leader. Their bodies are located in Little Hangleton at the cemetery just up the hill. I left everything as it was minus Pettigrew. He won't be much help with identifying me, the killer as it were, because I removed his memory of my features. While I'm not remorseful for the loss of life considering the despicable things they did in the war, as well as continued to secretly carry out with no one the wiser, my identity could cause some other issues I need to avoid. I didn't go after any of the other non-marked followers and sympathizers as, technically, they were innocent. With these men responding to their master's call others won't be too upset that they were killed while in his service. The others' deaths would make me look like the monster instead of the hero so I'll just leave you their names and ask you to keep an eye on them.

Amelia glanced at the separate list and wasn't surprised by most of the names included. While she couldn't legally do anything to them, she'd be watching them closely for any missteps.

The final task I'd recommend is interviewing the students from Hogwarts. I'm not sure what Susan has told you, or what she was even aware of, but Hogwarts hasn't been as safe as Dumbledore loves to claim. I won't go into too much detail as the interviews will be illuminating themselves. Some key things to consider and ask about are Professor Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stonehidden in the school several years ago (I wonder how much Dumbledore revealed,if anything at all), student petrification, basilisks, and possessed students, and secret passageways into the school that are undefended and a potential security threat. I'm sure your head is spinning but I'll warn you that you'll need to work on some anger management techniques when you get the full details. Harry will be a fount of knowledge for much of this and most can be corroborated by his friends and classmates.

I know you have a lot to accomplish now that you're aware of where the battle took place and the strange happenings at Hogwarts so I will let you get to it. I've been told you highly value justice so I will leave the rest in your hands. Thank you for trying to keep the Ministry from completely swimming in corruption and hopefully soon a lot of it will be cleaned up with Fudge and his financial backers out of the way. Good luck!

This person was right, her head was spinning as she thought of those keywords pointed out: 'Philosopher's Stone? possessed students? BASILISK?!'She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. There was not much she could do about Hogwarts for now, the year was almost over anyway, but before the new term began she would be thoroughly investigating the place.

Brushing the thoughts away for the moment, she folded the letter and placed it in a desk drawer for later. For now, she needed to gather some Aurors and visit a crime scene. She had a feeling her schedule wasn't going to calm down for the next few months at least and hoped Susan would forgive her for the long hours she'd be working.

xXx

Kreacher popped in beside him and laid a letter down before disappearing again. He was very suspicious of anything coming from Kreacher and used his borrowed wand to scan the letter for any spells. Finding nothing, he carefully opened it.

Sirius,

This is gonna be a difficult letter for you to read, just hear me out. I promise I only have Harry's best interest at heart and want him to thrive in this new, Voldemort-free world.

First, Harry is not James. I know he looks a lot like him but he is his own person who has been through more than you can imagine. He needs a responsible father figure, not a best friend. While I expect you'll always instill in him your mischievousness, I hope you realize that he has never had family who supported and loved him. I know you can relate to how growing up in such a harsh environment can hurt one's soul. How Harry turned into such a caring and kind person is mind-boggling. You had the Potters to turn to when you finally escaped your family but Harry hasn't had the chance to fully escape thanks to a certain bearded headmaster.

I know you probably have a sense of loyalty to Dumbledore, but beware relying on him. He has kept many secrets and the plans he made for Harry were unacceptable. Luckily I was able to step in or the whole world would have suffered. He may not be inherently evil but he isn't as kind and benevolent as he likes to play.

Anyway, the adults in our life had worked hard to make it seem as if you were unstable and tried to keep Harry from you. I'm sure that some mind healing would have gone a long way to helping you be healthier but keeping him from you just made it worse which gave them more examples of why you should be kept at arm's-length. Now you'll be free and have the power to fight back against those that would keep you separated. Use that Slytherin cunning I know you grew up with.

Now, to the hardest part. I'm not sure if you've ever heard the word 'Horcrux' before but, if you haven't, well be ready for a shock. A Horcrux is a container housing part of a person's soul. The ritual needed to make one is extremely vile so I won't expound on how it's done. The reason Voldemort was able to survive Halloween so many years ago was that he had created Horcruxes. Making one is unthinkable but making multiple is downright terrifying. The reason more people don't create these vessels, besides knowledge of how and moral reprehensibility, is how unstable it makes your soul. If doing it once causes this then making more would be much worse. This is how on that Halloween night, as the killing curse struck him, his soul shattered and a piece fled to the only place it could find, a wounded child.

Having a Horcrux anywhere near you can cause anger, fear, resentment and more to consume you. It is a miracle that Harry was able to survive let alone turn into such a wonderful person. Magic, Fate or whoever was smiling down at him to protect him from most of the pain of having it lodged in his head. I would recommend a mind healer as part of his recovery, not only from the connection this brought to Voldemort but also to deal with his past. Maybe the same mind healer that I expect you to visit regularly, Sirius Black. Harry needs you as well as you can be and that can only happen if you do your part to get better.

Now, don't despair. I removed the Horcrux recently after I'd destroyed all the other vessels. As much as I didn't want to, I had to remove the memory of that from his head to save him from the pain and horror of seeing and feeling the evil trying to hold onto his mind. I'll leave it up to you on whether you want to inform him of its existence when he's older but, for now, you can tell him and the mind healer that there was a connection due to the killing curse rebound. Since this is the first time that has happened no one else will know otherwise. Save one.

Albus Dumbledore was aware of the Horcrux in Harry from the start. Instead of consulting others on how to go about removing it, he decided since he didn't know how to accomplish it then there couldn't possibly be any way other than death. While it upset him that a child had to eventually die, he deemed it 'For the Greater Good' and started making his plans as to how to facilitate this. During our second year, he discovered that Voldemort had created more than one Horcrux and his plans were derailed. While he still needed Harry to die he couldn't let it happen until the other vessels were found and destroyed.

A little secret I'll leave with you is that I'm not from this time. I lived a very different, much darker, life than I hope will be formed this time around. We were part of Dumbledore's manipulations and forced to search for the Horcruxes after his death. Instead of informing us, or anyone, of all of his gathered knowledge before his impending death he sent us on a ridiculous chase to find and destroy these abominations. Trying to do this in the middle of a war was nearly impossible. If you thought the war you survived was bad then having Voldemort in charge of the wizarding world was a new level of hell.

While we were able to survive, many more lost their lives. The wizarding world was devastated by the immense loss of life and plagued by the memories of the horrors they'd witnessed. Harry was never the same after having to sacrifice his life, only living due to a chance encounter during battle when he obtained a way to stay alive after being hit by the killing curse. I knew that we deserved better than what we'd gotten even if we had won the war. So I researched, trained, and planned until I was able to execute my plans. I knew of all the manipulations and how to correct them. I knew how to be rid of Voldemort and his more ardent followers before they could wreak even more terror on our world. And, most importantly, I knew how to save Harry's soul from being destroyed by all he had experienced.

P.S. I know you hold onto guilt for not being able to save Regulus from following Voldemort because I'd read the journals you'd left behind. I wanted you to know that he saw the light at the end and worked to stop Voldemort from retaining immortality. Speak to Kreacher and he'll tell you the whole story. And try to be a bit more caring about his situation, he was left alone with just your mother's portrait and a Horcrux to twist his mind.

xXx

Hermione returned to her dorm and found a letter on her pillow. She immediately checked it for traps; you can never be too careful with the Weasley twins running around Hogwarts. It seemed fine but she was still cautious regardless.

Hello Hermione,

I'm sure this will sound crazy and unbelievable but what part of the wizarding world doesn't do that already? I'm you. Not the present day you but a version from a future more than a decade away. I'm sure it won't seem possible to you, time turners don't allow you to go back and change key events. Well, my time turner was a special creation that I worked on day and night for years to make this possible. I added in a few spells as well to really make it stick. We always were overachievers but this has to be my finest work.

You may be asking yourself why I would do such a drastic thing. Well, isn't the craziest things we do always linked with Harry?

The wizarding world went through a devastating time, losing so many and others being so broken they almost seemed as if they'd died. Children witnessing torture and death or being the victims of it themselves found mind healers unable to keep up with the demand. Voldemort ruling the wizarding world was probably worse than you can imagine. The muggleborn population had been devastated by the mass killings and the pureblood population had taken a hit with so many of them being Death Eaters and being killed in battle or by Voldemort himself for some imagined slight. We had won the war but the real battle began after the dust had settled.

If it was just the population hit that was the problem I probably wouldn't have acted so strongly but the emotional toll it took on Harry was too hard to watch. I wasn't dealing well with it myself. Harry and I were always what kept each other going and he wasn't able to help me through it. He'd seen so many horrific things during his life and that was on top of the wizarding world pinning all their hopes on him. There was a prophecy that said only he could beat Voldemort and while a lot of divination is a bit woolly, true prophecies always find a way to come into being. Another issue caused him to have to choose to sacrifice himself in order to defeat Voldemort. He had no idea that he would live through it but facing death would damage anyone. All in all, Harry wasn't Harry anymore and he'd locked himself away from everyone else; mentally and physically.

Being alone was familiar for me but something I'd forgotten after having Harry for so long. Ron's friendship was always shallow at best and, without Harry as the glue, it all fell apart. I was alone and broken. We know how having time on our hands can lead to trouble. The thought popped into my head that I could change things and save us from the worst of it all. I was finally able to convince Harry to meet me and coaxed the memory of his night in the cemetery from him and got planning. Things progressed fairly quickly from there once my mind was set. I won't give you the details or how I managed it but know that if something bad happens, and I mean muggles discovering the wizarding world and trying to destroy it bad, you are capable of changing things.

I dealt with everything important and facilitated the ridiculous prophecy so the heavy lifting there is taken care of. What you'll be expected to do may be even harder: support Harry. A lot will come to light in the next few weeks and months and Harry will need you. Stay in contact with him over the summer and visit him as much as you can. Don't allow anyone to get between the two of you, especially Dumbledore. Remember, there are forms of communication outside of owls and floo that the wizarding world hasn't a clue about.

I know how much you admire adults and almost think them infallible but that has to stop. Age doesn't necessarily beget wisdom and benevolence. Things will soon come to light about Dumbledore that will shock you but you must not brush them off. He was the reason that Harry was so broken and I had to take these steps. His manipulations ruined so many lives, mine included. Respect is good but never forget to question everything and do your own research. And remember that books aren't the gospel as well. Books are written by people and people can be wrong or have their own agendas. Imagine Ron Weasley decided to write a book on Arithmancy and had it published. Would you take the words written by him seriously? Lockheart should be all the proof you need to keep an open mind at all times.

Now I have no idea what the future will hold for you. I've changed a pivotal moment and set even more in motion that there's no telling what will happen. All I know is that you will be able to have a better life this time around. Maybe you can even aspire to be the Minister of Magic and make some lasting changes in the wizarding world. It's definitely something to think about. Just make sure whatever you do, you're happy. I know how much you care about Harry and how much he cares for you. Keep an open mind and don't let your self-consciousness get in the way if a romantic relationship should develop. I'm not technically you, our experiences changing us, but I know how much I would have enjoyed spending my life with Harry. I even believe it would have happened had the war and Dumbledore not gotten in our way.

Whatever happens, just enjoy your life. If it's with Harry, great, if not then find someone who treats you well. Never settle for second best if you can help it. You are too kind and smart to allow anyone into your life that doesn't deserve to be there.

Now that I've left your mind whirling in a million different directions, I'll go. You won't be hearing from me again, I won't exist anymore. You will become the much better version of me and live the life that I'd hoped for so long ago. I'm so happy for you. Take care!

Hermione

P.S. I've set Rita Skeeter on the trail of Dumbledore and she will be instrumental in helping to spread the word. I know how you despise her; I feel the same, but use your hidden Slytherin abilities and lead her to the conclusions you'd like her to come to. I think you'll find her remorseful (if only feigned) and ready to help get the stories needed out to the public. Dumbledore has kept everything locked down for years and it's time his manipulations come to light. I warned her to keep to the facts in regards to Harry and she doesn't have to know I won't be around to act on any threats. You can exert your will if necessary but the amount I've given her to work with should keep her busy for a good while.

The letter really had shaken her world. Her mind wanted to discredit everything the letter said and forget it all but she knew she couldn't. Something inside her told her that every word had been the truth and confirmed some of the suspicions she'd locked away, too scared to analyze them.

She also didn't know how to handle her feelings for Harry. Of course, she had been aware of her feelings for him but had done a great job of pushing them deep down and pretending they didn't exist. Now that someone was forcing her to look closer she could see

xXx

An owl swooped in and dropped a letter on the kitchen table. Molly assumed it was from one of the kids and opened it to read.

Mrs. Weasley,

I've written several letters today to many different people but yours is a bit different. I can't tell you who I am and it isn't really important. I just needed to make sure you were aware of a few key pieces of information.

Now, I know how much faith you place in Dumbledore but you need to start seeing things more objectively. Many of his actions and their consequences will come to light in the coming months and it'll be your job to listen and think. You are a mother. Your children have always been your number one priority but Dumbledore has asked you to put that aside many times.

Think back to when the twins and Ron rescued Harry from the Dursleys. You heard that they'd locked him up and put bars on the windows. You saw the signs of malnutrition and neglect and went to Dumbledore. Your mothering instinct, usually so strong, was broken down by him and made to seem as if you were overreacting. Why?

More importantly, he allowed you to forsake the health of your children. Ginny was possessed by Voldemort's spirit for almost a year and then it was brushed off as if the whole experience was just another adventure. Kids will be kids. Once again Dumbledore spoke and you listened. You've seen Ginny. Outward appearances may deceive some but you're her mother. You see what she tries to hide from the world, the brokenness of having been manipulated and violated in such a disturbing way. I know your family doesn't have much money but she should have been seen by a mind healer years ago regardless of whatever lies Dumbledore has filled your head with.

Ron should also be seen by a mind healer. He has some serious anger to work out along with always feeling inadequate. Being the youngest of so many successful brothers makes him feel as if there's nothing left for him to accomplish. His jealousy and anger will push away those most important to him and he'll not know how to change without help. Along with those issues he also has the trauma from being involved in all the antics at Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione. Having people trying to obliviate and kill you aren't things that can just be brushed away as if they meant nothing. He'll need help overcoming that as well.

I'm sure you're extremely upset right now but I knew that I had to speak to you for the sake of your family. They need someone to fight for them against the world and Dumbledore is a part of that world. You send your children there for seven years of their life and the past few years have shown how lax he's been with their safety. Your family is more important than some flowery words from an old man.

Included in this letter is a key. I've set up an account at Gringotts to cover the medical expenses for Ginny and Ron. I know how much you're reluctant to accept charity but your children come before your pride. Remember that.

That covers everything I needed to say. Please look after Harry. He'll have a rough go of it for a while but, with support from his friends and your family, I think he'll come out the other side okay.

-A friend.

Molly sat drowning in sorrow for what she allowed to happen to her family. She wanted to scoff and brush off the letter's recriminations but they hit too close to home. There had been that voice in the back of her head telling her that Ginny wasn't okay but it was so much easier to listen to Dumbledore and pretend everything was okay. Well, no more, it was time for her to take care of her family with no outside interference.

Molly's mama bear side had been activated and no one, not even the great Albus Dumbledore, was going to hurt her children if she could help it.

xXx

Harry looked to Hermione, seeing her clearly for the first time. This girl, his best friend, was remarkable. While it wasn't technically her that had saved him and the rest of the wizarding world, the potential was in her. He was glad this Hermione wouldn't have to go through what the other had. While she still looked like his Hermione, her eyes told a story of pain and suffering. He would never know all that had transpired in her timeline but was so grateful she had stepped in and saved them all.

Knowing he would have her by his side was heartening but he started to want more. In the madness that had been his life, he hadn't given too much thought to girls. Trying to survive year after year didn't leave much free time to worry about romance. While Cho had caught his eye for her pretty face, he knew he wanted something more than just looks. Seeing Hermione's smile was a wonderful sight. She radiated a strength that he couldn't feel from anyone else. He didn't know how he'd never noticed just how beautiful she was before.

Feeling his eyes on her she looked over. He just looked back smiling. She returned the smile but when he didn't look away a blush tinged her cheeks and she returned to her former conversation. Seeing the blush gave him hope that maybe he had a chance. He knew she'd befriended Viktor but had indicated it wasn't anything more. He was lucky in this as it wouldn't be long before he'd have others trying to steal her away. He knew before they left for the summer he'd try to convince her to give him a chance. Where this confidence came from he didn't know, but he knew he couldn't let fear cause him to lose what could be the best thing that ever happened to him. Resolve set, he began planning how to charm her so that she'd accept him as her boyfriend.

xXx

Dumbledore,

I'm not going to beat around the bush, I've fixed what you almost destroyed. Voldemort is dead, his Horcruxes all destroyed (yes, including Harry) and I'm working on putting the wizarding world on a path that isn't led by Death Eaters who got away. I didn't step back and allow violent criminals the ability to retain their power so that we'd be fighting the same war years later. All the power you wield and you did nothing with it. The only thing you did was use your power to manipulate things to happen how you thought they should.

You didn't try to help Harry or even attempt to find someone to remove the Horcrux from his head. You didn't know how to do it so arrogantly assumed that it couldn't be done. Well, you were wrong. Instead, you set him up to die when it was most convenient for you. It's really disgusting how you play with people's lives like they're pieces in a grand chess game.

From now on you won't be interfering with Harry anymore. I've set things on a better path for him where you won't be a problem for him anymore. Enjoy your life while you can because I'm not too sure how much fun you'll have from now on. You made your bed now it's time to lie in it.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Someone else being aware of the Horcruxes as well as having dealt with them all was alarming. All his plans for the future were worth nothing if this was true. Minutes later he received a letter regarding an emergency Wizengamot meeting.

With the world in such chaos, he would be preoccupied until Rita's exposé series on his past came out. The public's baying for his blood would keep him too busy trying to survive rather than focusing on his previous machinations.

A few weeks after the school year ended Dumbledore was surrounded by paperwork and fielding owls and floo calls left and right. Everything was a mess and he saw no end in sight for this chaos. Minerva was refusing to be in his presence unless absolutely necessary let alone help with administrative duties any longer. He now regretted taking on so many roles.

He'd been experiencing pain throughout his body all day but it made itself doubly known all of a sudden. He began sweating profusely and was so dizzy he would have fallen down if he wasn't already sitting. Finally, his world went dark and he knew no more.

The elves would find him hours later in his office but it would be much too late. The man who'd stood against Grindelwald and Voldemort was taken out by a simple heart attack. The great Albus Dumbledore, once revered, would be relegated to being a footnote in the pages of history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I hadn't planned on continuing it originally but had a bit of inspiration and there was enough interest to keep going. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I had an image of Hermione being like a mix of Elektra and The Bride from Kill Bill so that gives you an idea of what I was going for. I love stories where Hermione takes matters into her own hands and fixes things and got this idea that didn't fit into my in-progress stories.


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